ToRegaintheNatureofGoodness

　　--Reviewof‘OliverTwist’

　　OliverTwist,oneofthemostfamousworksofCharlesDickens’,isanovelreflectingthetragicfactofthelifeinBritainin18thcentury.

　　TheauthorwhohimselfwasborninapoorfamilywrotethisnovelinhistwentieswithaviewtorevealtheuglymasksofthosecruelcriminalsandtoexposethehorrorandviolencehiddenunderneaththenarrowanddirtystreetsinLondon.

　　TheheroofthisnovelwasOliverTwist,anorphan,whowasthrownintoaworldfullofpovertyandcrime.Hesufferedenormouspain,suchashunger,thirst,beatingandabuse.WhilereadingthetragicexperiencesofthelittleOliver,Iwasshockedbyhissufferings.Ifeltforthepoorboy,butatthesametimeIdetestedtheevilFaginandthebrutalBill.Tomyrelief,aswaswritteninallthebeststories,thegoodnesseventuallyconquereddevilandOliverlivedahappylifeintheend.Oneoftheplotsthatattractedmemostisthatafterthetheft,littleOliverwasallowedtorecoverinthekindcareofMrs.MaylieandRoseandbegananewlife.Hewentforwalkswiththem,orRosereadtohim,andheworkedhardathislessons.Hefeltasifhehadleftbehindforevertheworldofcrimeandhardshipandpoverty.

　　Howcansuchalittleboywhohadalreadysufferedoppressiveafflictionremainpureinbodyandmind?Thereasonisthenatureofgoodness.IthinkitisthemostimportantinformationimpliedinthenovelbyDickens-hebelievedthatgoodnesscouldconquereverydifficulty.AlthoughIdon’tthinkgoodnessisomnipotent,yetIdobelievethatthosewhoarekind-heartedlivemorehappilythanthosewhoareevil-minded.

　　Forme,thenatureofgoodnessisoneofthemostnecessarycharacterforaperson.Goodnessistohumanswhatwateristofish.Hewhoiswithoutgoodnessisanutterlyworthlessperson.Onthecontrary,asthefamoussayinggoes,‘Thefragrancealwaysstaysinthehandthatgivestherose’,hewhoiswithgoodnessundoubtedlyisahappyandusefulperson.Peoplereceivinghishelparegratefultohimandhealsogetsgratifiedfromwhathehasdone,andthushecandogoodtoboththepeoplehehashelpedandhimself.

　　Tomydisappointment,nowadayssomepeopleseemtodoubttheexistenceofthegoodnessinhumanity.Theylookdownonpeople’shonestyandkindness,thinkingitfoolishofpeopletobewarm-hearted.Asaresult,theyshownosympathytothosewhoareintroubleandseldomoffertohelpothers.Ontheotherhand,theyattachimportancetomoneyandbenefit.Intheiropinion,moneyistheonlyrealobjectwhileemotionsandmoralityarenihility.Iftheycannotgetprofitfromshowingtheir‘kindness’,theydrawbackwhenothersarefacedwithtroubleandevenhitamanwhenheisdown.TheyareoneofthesortsthatIreallydetest.

　　FrancisBaconsaidinhisessay,‘Goodness,ofallvirtuesanddignitiesofthemind,isthegreatest,beingthecharacteroftheDeity,andwithoutit,manisabusy,mischievous,wretchedthing,nobetterthanakindofvermin.’

　　Thatistosayapersonwithoutgoodnessisdestinedtoloseeverything.Therefore,I,akindperson,wanttotellthose‘vermin-to-be’tolearnfromthekindOliverandregainthenatureofgoodness.